JBL Live Beam 3 Review: A Versatile Companion

JBL Live Beam 3 truly wireless stereo (TWS) earphones arrived in India last month. The flagship TWS by the company also marked the first time it launched an earphone with an integrated display in the country. While the JBL Tour Pro 2, the first-ever JBL TWS with a display, was introduced in several international markets in 2023, it did not debut in India.

But design is not the only area of innovation these pair of earphones have witnessed. JBL has also introduced the Lossless Digital Audio Codec (LDAC) support in its TWS lineup for the first time. The flagship earphones also feature active noise cancellation (ANC), True Adaptive Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio support. Further, it also comes with an IP55 rating for dust and splash resistance. The official price of the JBL Live Beam 3 is Rs. 24,999, but the JBL website has listed it at Rs. 13,999.

Interestingly, the design has also received mixed reactions, with some calling it a gimmick and others finding it to be functional. But that is not the only aspect where JBL has to excel. The TWS has also managed to get the attention of audiophiles with the inclusion of LDAC. So, are these features really worth it? Let’s get down to the brass tacks.

JBL Live Beam 3 Design and Features: Packs a Punch

• The charging case weighs 72g
• Colours – Black, Blue, and Silver
• IP55 water and dust resistance (earbuds)

The JBL Live Beam 3 comes with an in-ear form factor and a curved stem. The earbuds have a matte finish which looks and feels premium. The back of the stem is the only part of the earbuds which has a glossy finish around the JBL branding. The box comes with four sizes of silicone ear tips, and I was able to find the ones that fit me snugly. The earbuds are fairly lightweight at 5g per earbud and I did not feel the weight even after prolonged usage of multiple hours at a stretch.

JBL Live Beam 3 design

Coming to the case, you get a soapbox-style front-open case with a shimmery finish. However, despite that, it does not attract any fingerprint smudges, to my surprise. My review unit arrived in the Blue colour option, however, there are options for Black and Silver as well. At 72g, the case is quite heavy and it will need some time to get used to it. It is also thicker than the conventional TWS at 30.25mm, and it will slightly stick out when you stash it in your pocket. This is something I’m still not very comfortable with after three weeks of usage.

The earbuds come with gesture controls and you only have to tap the stem to trigger the command. There are single-tap, double-tap, and tap-and-hold controls, which can be configured using the companion app. Notably, you can only choose controls in groups including ambient sound control, volume control, and playback control. There are no options to choose specific functions with specific actions.

Addressing the elephant in the room, the JBL Live Beam 3 comes with a 1.45-inch touch screen display. The display features several settings for the earbuds such as playback controls, volume setting, ANC, spatial sound, equaliser, and more. The sliding gesture is not very touch-sensitive, and sometimes it takes a couple of tries to get where you want to. This can be slightly frustrating since all the setting options are arranged in a horizontally-scrolling view.

Now, the setting options you get on the display are the same that you get within the companion app, so there is a case to be made for duplication of features instead of offering a unique use case. However, in my experience, the display is quite useful. The most common usage for me was using the case to play around with the equaliser and ANC since I had another app opened on my smartphone. It saved me those precious swipes to go back and forth between the two apps.

But it goes much beyond that. I have the habit of connecting my TWS with my smart TV when I’m binge-watching a show late at night. The case allowed me to use the equaliser and spatial audio without a worry. Even when paired with my work laptop, I never had to worry about installing the JBL Portable app for PC to use the full range of features, which might have required me to get admin permission first. In short, if you are someone who would prefer a remote control for your earphones which is not attached to any other device, you are going to find it useful in the long run. Definitely, not a party trick for me.

JBL Live Beam 3: App and Specifications

• Driver – 10mm dynamic drivers
• Companion app – JBL Headphones
• Gesture controls – Yes

The JBL Live Beam 3 earphones are compatible with the JBL Headphones app on both Android and iOS smartphones. It is the main hub for all the sound mode customisation settings. After pairing the TWS, you will see the battery percentage of individual earbuds as well as the smart charging case. Underneath, there are three sections — General, Audio, and Others.

JBL Headphones app

The General section contains Ambient Sound Control that lets you turn on and switch between ANC, Ambient Aware (transparency mode), and Talk Thru modes. The Talk Thru mode is an enhanced transparency mode which can detect when the user is speaking and automatically pauses any media playing. You will also find the customisation settings option for the charging case display. This lets you change wallpapers, select the feature shortcuts to show, and even change the brightness.

A couple of interesting features are Check My Best Fit and Smart Talk. The former checks for any audio leaks and suggests in case the user needs a different silicone tip for a better listening experience. The latter is part of the Talk Thru feature that lets you set the sensitivity of the speech detection. The options are five seconds, 15 seconds, and 20 seconds. The user will have to speak that many seconds continuously for the Talk Thru mode to kick in. This is a cool addition for those who often speak in quick sentences but do not want their media playback to be affected. Additionally, this section also allows you to pick the gestures for the earbuds.

The Audio section features High-Resolution Audio mode which essentially turns on the LDAC support, the equaliser, spatial audio modes, and Personi-Fi. The latter is a smart feature that conducts a full sound profile test to find your optimal hearing levels and adjust the sound output to match that. In my experience, the bass and mids felt punchier after turning on this feature.

Apart from this, you will also find options for left and right sound balance, a max volume limiter, and a Private Call Mode that lets you take out one earbud and use it as a microphone. Finally, the Others section has options to find the earbuds, power saving mode and lets you play relaxing sounds.

Coming to the specifications, the JBL Live Beam 3 features 10mm dynamic drivers, comes with JBL’s Spatial Sound technology, and supports AAC, SBC, and LDAC codecs. The earbuds support Bluetooth 5.3 while the charging case supports Bluetooth 5.1. It also supports Bluetooth multipoint connectivity and has an IP55 rating for dust and splash resistance. Each earbud is backed by a 68mAh battery, while the charging case packs a 680mAh battery.

JBL Live Beam 3: Performance and Battery Life

• Supports AAC, SBC, and LDAC
• Earbuds support Bluetooth 5.3; Charging case supports Bluetooth 5.1
• Earbuds are backed by a 68mAh battery; Charging case comes with 680mAh battery

The JBL Live Beam 3 comes with three ANC modes. In my experience, the noise reduction is above average but not the best out there. If you’re indoors, you will be able to shut out the sound of the AC, the ceiling fan or the TV in the next room for most parts, but some of it still seeps in. When you’re outdoors, the performance feels a bit iffy. The earphones will block most of the loud vehicle noises and sound of people in the vicinity, but you will still hear some of it as low muffled noise. If you’re after more powerful ANC earphones, you can look for the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless (review).

JBL Live Beam 3 earbuds design

Coming to sound quality, it is difficult not to be impressed with what JBL Live Beam 3 offers. The Harman fine-tuning is evident and like most JBL products, it leans bass-heavy. Whether I was listening to punchy beats in Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us or enjoying the guitar strumming in Hotel California by The Eagles, the listening experience was sublime. I also explored vocal-heavy songs such as Bust Your Windows by Jazmine Sullivan and Houdini by Eminem. While I would have preferred the higher pitches to pop out a bit more, there was not a lot to complain about.

However, this was the performance over standard music streaming on Spotify and YouTube Music. I also explored the LDAC codec with lossless music from Tidal and the experience is really noticeable. One good example is Swimming Pools (Drank) by Kendrick Lamar. You can hear the instrument separation between the lows and highs as well as the iconic voice panning between the ears that lets you feel the entire soundstage.

But, I would add that despite the impressive performance, these are TWS in the end and they will not be able to match the capabilities of a wired headphone in the same price segment. But if you’re not a serious audiophile, this does not apply to you anyway.

I’m generally not a fan of the microphone quality on TWS. The voice often sounds artificial and there is always a fear of ambient noises being picked over your voice. JBL comes with a party trick where it lets you use one of the earbuds as a microphone (essentially audio output stops in that earbud) by unplugging it from the ear and holding it in front of your face. That works but, the performance is nothing worth writing home about. In indoor settings, you will be audible when on a call or in a meeting, but the performance is subpar in outdoor settings.

Finally, I found the battery performance of the JBL Live Beam 3 to be impressive. The company claims 12 hours of playback time with ANC off and 10 hours with ANC on. In my experience, I was consistently able to get between seven to eight hours of playtime with ANC and upwards of nine hours without ANC. The sound level was consistently kept between 50 to 60 percent. The charging time from zero to 100 in the case takes roughly about two hours. Notably, the charging case supports quick charge and wireless charging as well.

JBL Live Beam 3: Verdict

After using the JBL Live Beam 3 for almost a month, I feel the unique selling proposition (USP) of the device is options. For the price of Rs. 14,999, you’re not getting the most powerful ANC in the market or the most balanced audio profile.

JBL Live Beam 3

However, what you do get is versatility. With the charging case display, you can use and customise the audio experience of the earphones even when reaching the mobile app might be difficult. You can also optimise it for spatial audio, Personi-Fi audio, or set it up for LDAC codec. You can also use the equaliser’s six presets to find the optimal audio zone or create your own.

JBL has thrown everything at the earphones bar the kitchen sink. What that has done is create a versatile device that will let a large subset of consumers create their own way of customising the audio experience and the usage of the device.

However, if you’re someone who has a strong preference for the ANC, sound profile, or the thickness of the charging case, this may not be the best choice for you.